R O B I N  E L I S E  M A A Y A

JOAN BIREN WOW. The image on the left below is my absolute favorite photo of hers and every time I look at it my heart starts pounding like crazy. Something about the elegance of the female body and the harshness of the feet and the straight cut pants all kept in this little silhouette is just amazing. All of Joan's work is my favorite, too, though. I can't really pick. Her work focuses on the romantic and working relationships of women and the experiences of activist women and women who are artists. Every one of her series somehow relates to my story and my life and seeing it brought to life through her work is truly amazing. Her work is documentary yet fine art and staged, yet natural. I truly admire her ability to bend the rules and "do both" and I plan to take inspiration from her in regards to that and be both a fine art and documentary photographer.